This invention relates to passenger safety arrangements for motor vehicles having air bags and belt tighteners.
German Offenlegungsscbrift No. 195 26 619 discloses a passenger safety arrangement for controlling operation of a variety of safety devices, especially with respect to a broadside collision. That publication also discloses a simplified arrangement of side impact sensors. In addition, control of the operation of individual safety devices for a variety of accident scenarios is described.
A safety belt system with a belt lock tightening device which disengages in response to side impact loads is described in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 195 22 684. That document, in particular in the introduction to the description, points out that, in side impact loads on a motor vehicle, relative motions between the passenger in the vehicle and the corresponding vehicle seat may occur, despite a safety belt being fastened. In particular, during a side impact, the B column may be driven inwardly so that it moves closer to the passenger and to the vehicle seat Because of this inward movement of the B column toward the vehicle seat, a safety belt which has been previously fastened or tightened by a tightening device undergoes a corresponding slackening before the vehicle seat itself is also shifted sideways by further penetration of the colliding object. As a result of such belt slackening, the passenger is no longer held sufficiently firmly on the seat and thus is not optimally secured. To solve this problem, the safety belt in a seat region is passed over a shoulder of the passenger through a seat-secured belt guide having a belt-fastening device. This document does not disclose any cooperation of such a safety belt system with side air-bag.